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Monthly Archives: June 2017

Geography trips to South Africa take students to one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world, in a setting of stunning rock formations, such as Table Mountain and Blyde River Canyon. South Africa is home to some of the world’s most unique wild animals and stunning flora, which students will be able to witness in Kruger National Park and Kirstenbosch (one of eight National Botanical Gardens). Going on geography trips
to South Africa is both enriching and unforgettable for young learners.

Kirstenbosch

Kirstenbosch was founded in 1913 to preserve the unique flora of South Africa, and with a few minor exceptions, it only cultivates indigenous species. Its outdoor area is mainly dedicated to flora native to the Cape region, including a collection of the famous protea family. In a large conservatory it grows plants from other South African biomes, including savannah, fynbos and karoo. Kirstenbosch gives students on geography trips a valuable opportunity to study the remarkable diversity of South African flora up-close. The gardens are located on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, with several walking trails leading from the gardens up the sides of the mountain.

Table Mountain

The iconic flat-topped Table Mountain overlooking the city of Cape Town is familiar to many people. Its smooth top is Ordovician quartzitic sandstone (commonly known as Table Mountain Sandstone), a form of rock that is highly resistant to erosion. Its shape encourages the formation of orographic clouds on its top that resemble a tablecloth. Bio-diversity on Table Mountain is remarkably high, with an estimated 2,200 flora species confined to the mountain. Many of these are threatened. The mountain is also notable for being the only terrestrial feature to give its name to a constellation: Mensa (‘The Table’) below Orion in the southern hemisphere. The unique landscape of Table Mountain is an excellent case study on geography trips to South Africa, as well as a stunning sight that will awe every student.

Blyde River Canyon

Another striking natural feature of South Africa is Blyde River Canyon. Carved into predominantly red sandstone, it is one of the largest canyons in the world, and may be the largest ‘green canyon’ due to the subtropical forest covering its slopes. It supports a diverse array of mammal, bird, fish and plant life. It makes another top destination for geography trips, demonstrating the breadth and beauty of biomes in South Africa.

Kruger National Park

One of the largest game reserves on the continent, Kruger National Park is an opportunity for students to see some of Africa’s most famous wildlife in a vast natural habitat. In addition to sighting the ‘Big Five’, students can see the different regions of plant life within the park: thorn trees and red bush-willow veld, knob-thorn and marula veld, red bush-willow and mopane veld, and shrub mopane veld.

Kim Kardashian needs a rumor-vanishing version of “Ghostbusters.” The woman known primarily for her body (and her skills in spending money) had to go on the attack after rumors that she had turned to plastic surgery rather than the Atkins diet to shed her post-baby weight. Now she’s fed up with rumors that her famous derriere is actually the result of butt implants, reported On the Red Carpet Feb. 21.

“I’m seeing all these nonsense tabloids claiming I have butt implants-injections. Get a life! Using pics of me 15lbs skinnier (before I had my baby) comparing to me now,” scolded Kim.

“Anyone who has had a baby knows how hard it is to lose weight (especially the last bit of weight) & your body totally changes!” she added.

And to prove that her distinctive derriere has not changed, Kim posted a photo of herself on Feb. 21 with labeled “#FlashBACKFriday.”

Kim is so famed for her booty that she even stars in a series of fitness derriere DVDs, such as “Kim Kardashian: Fit In Your Jeans by Friday: Ultimate Butt Body Sculpt.”

Attacking tabloids who also reported that she had liposuction, Kim noted:

Making fun of me pregnant & making fun of me trying to lose weight now shame on you.

I’m not perfect but I will never conform to your skinny standards sorry! Not me. And BTW I’ve lost a lot so far & I’m proud of that! Don’t give young girls a complex!

Kim has repeatedly emphasized that she’s worked hard for her weight loss and inimitable derriere. Her high fat low carb diet follows the Atkins guidelines: It’s a ketogenic approach designed to boost fat-burning.

How much has she lost? In contrast to Jessica Simpson, who repeatedly has declined to state precisely how much weight she’s shed in her second voyage using Weight Watchers, Kim told Jay Leno that she was “50 pounds down.”

Since that appearance, she’s lost more weight and reportedly wants to lose more prior to her wedding.

The performance of a car is effected on various levels if it’s operating with clogged. It tends to reduce the power of your car which is the utmost requirement when you are on the go. Probably, the most affected area of clogged is that on the gas mileage. Getting the changed will take only your 10 minutes as well as $20 as a charge. Following mentioned are some easy steps through which you can get this task completed easily and quickly.

Method

Trace and open the filter housing

Having the hood opened and propped safely, trace the housing position of the air filter. If the make of your car is 20 years old, then this will be placed in a black plastic case having metal clips on the side. Flip the metal clips in a downward motion. If they are tight, slide in a screwdriver and the case at the top. Get it popped off. There may be some housing which includes holding nuts from the top.

Squirrel the nuts

If your housing is handled by nuts and you remove them, make sure that they are placed in a safe place as you cannot afford losing them. The vehicle used in our example, the top of the housing of the is removed so it has been placed on the housing top from where they cannot roll away. They can also be placed in your pocket. No matter what you do, keep them in a safe place from where you can get them easily.

Remove the old filter

No matter which shape your filter is manufactured in – rectangular or round – it is surrounded by many folded paper made of rubber. Prior to removing the air filter, examine the entire way in which it has been installed so that the new can be placed easily and correctly. Carefully take out the filter avoiding other things to fall off in the box.

Place the new filter over there

Place the new and clean filter. Make sure that the settings and configurations are same to that of the filter removed. Even if you make a mistake, you do not have to worry as if the filter is placed wrongly, the top will never close down. Moreover, make sure that the rubber gasket of the is pressed within the housing. In case, if it is difficult to get it fixed, recheck the process and correct issues.

You have now saved both time as well as money spent of gas along with getting the air filter installed by yourself. The entire job takes about 10 minutes and you will see considerable difference within the hood. This is simply because changing the entire filter is completed by yourself.

Getting the air filter of your car removed or replaced at your own is no longer a difficult task. All you require is a certain degree of knowledge related to cars and you can get the task completed easily and affectively.

Tuesday night ABC’s “The Bachelor 2014” will show Juan Pablo Galavis go on his overnight dates in St. Lucia. There have been “The Bachelor” spoilers available for episode 18×9, but on Feb. 25 Reality Steve’s Juan Pablo spoilers connected all of the dots that had previously been missing. Just what goes down after the fantasy suite overnights?

“The Bachelor” spoilers indicate that Juan Pablo Galavis will have Clare Crawley’s date first, then Andi Dorfman’s, then Nikki Ferrell’s. Though the previews make it seem that things are disasterous during Juan Pablo and Andi’s date, Reality Steve’s spoilers indicate that things seemingly go fine during the date. The chaos comes when Juan Pablo goes to watch the videos each of the final three make for him.

Clare and Nikki’s videos are traditional fare about how strongly they feel for Juan Pablo. Andi’s, however, brings a first for the franchise. She says that she’s done a lot of thinking, and she thinks the two of them should talk in person. Next, viewers see Andi walking to meet Juan Pablo.

“The Bachelor” spoilers from Reality Steve indicate that Dorfman has a number of things she is upset about. She says that he essentially told her that she’s a default pick, though he apparently says he didn’t say that and doesn’t know what she means. However, Galavis did seem to lay the groundwork for this one in his blog for People this week. He said he almost took Renee over Andi to the overnight dates, and it seems during the fantasy date he clues her in on this. Most would say that was probably a big mistake.

Andi also says that she didn’t like how Juan Pablo had talked about already having had his date with Clare. When he says he’s just being honest, she says, “That’s not being honest, that’s you being an a**hole.” Dorfman also says that Juan Pablo talks about himself all of the time and showed very little interest in getting to know her. Andi says she’s not in love with him, and she decides to leave.

There will be a rose ceremony in Tuesday’s episode, but the final two are already determined at this point. Clare Crawley and Nikki Ferrell will both accept roses from Juan Pablo, cementing his final two for the season. Though Reality Steve’s spoilers say things aren’t nearly as dramatic between Juan Pablo and Andi as the previews suggest, it does sound like it’ll be a juicy exchange.

Most people are looking for the cheapest ski vacation package deals in order to save more money from their vacation expenses. Even travel experts would encourage their clients to plan their vacation ahead of time to save money. In order to do this, you will have to make a reservation from your chosen ski vacation destination. Choosing the best vacation destination for your needs will take some time since you have to research first to determine the best deals available in the market. After getting all the information you need, you can start comparing rates as well as the offered services of your top choices. You can also check out referrals from your trusted friends to save more time.

Ski resorts offer family vacation packages where best relaxation services and entertainments are served particularly for parents, grandparents and their children as well. Also, some ski and snowboard vacations resorts accept holding special occasions where their services and expertise are needed. These occasions include weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, honeymoons, graduations and reunions. Special occasions deserved to get the best services and since there are people who can’t afford them, several ski resorts offer special ski vacation packages and discounts for their valued customers.

There are many vacation destinations all around the world, people can go to beaches, golf resorts and even ski resorts depending on their preferences. Most of the time, people would prefer getting a ski or snowboard vacation just to get a different vacation experience from what they usually have during their long break. Skiing is one of the popular winter sports that most people are fond of playing when they visit a ski resort. Some visitors are sports enthusiasts since skiing involves a lot of muscle work which makes it a good workout. Other winter sport activities need muscle involvement too, wherein players are allowed to move around. Taking advantage of the fact that winter sports activities are good physical exercises, more people have suddenly became interested to experience them. Because of this, ski vacation resorts have gained a lot of customers – a good news especially for business owners. As a result, more ski resorts are now offering new vacation packages to help out people with a tight budget.

Vacation is all about getting the time to rest, relax and have fun. Few are only given this opportunity because most people can’t afford it or simply just too busy to have some time for it. You can consult to a ski vacation expert if you are planning to have a budget-friendly ski vacation soon. With the help of an expert, you can get advice and suggestion on what are the best ski vacation package and where is the popular ski vacation destination today.

Designed to raise awareness of conditions such as anorexia and bulimia, National Eating Disorders Week occurs Feb. 23 to March 1. It’s also intended to help sufferers, parents and friends discover how to get help as well as what to do to prevent these diseases, reported Forbes on Feb. 22.

The three main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, but the causes and solutions are not so easily categorized, say experts.

“Eating disorders are complicated and vexing problems and we don’t exactly understand the pathophysiology of them,” noted Dr. Aaron Krasner, a practicing psychiatrist, and Director of the Adolescent Transitional Living Program at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut.

“Certainly there is both a genetic component and an environmental component,” he added. But “it is not a one size fits all remedy or a preventive strategy.”

An estimated 10 million women and one million men in the United States suffer from an eating disorder, according to the Eating Disorder Foundation.

And eating disorders do not discriminate: Addiction specialist Drew Pinksy’s daughter Paulina just revealed that she battled bulimia and anorexia for seven years, reported USA Today on Feb. 24.

“Purging eight times in one day to cope with the emotional stress of being home during spring break had finally scared me enough to take action,” she wrote in an essay on body shame.

One of the keys to recovery: Talking about it rather than trying to hide the disorder, says Paulina.

“For me, talking about it normalizes talking about it. Eating disorders shouldn’t be a secret because that’s what perpetuates them,” she explained.

Dr. Drew said he takes pride in his daughter’s decision to get help.

“When she recognized she needed help she sought treatment and actively engaged in the process. And now she is using her insights to help others,” he stated.

But for those with eating disorders, the path to recovery can be long and difficult, revealed Jenni Schaefer recently in the Huffington Post. She’s the author of “Almost Anorexic: Is My (or My Loved One’s) Relationship with Food a Problem? (The Almost Effect)” and “Life Without Ed: How One Woman Declared Independence from Her Eating Disorder and How You Can Too” (click for details).

Even after getting professional help, Jenni remained too thin. And she was obsessed with the “thigh gap” look symptomatic of women who are unnaturally slender.

A former cheerleader was in Sochi on a job — a job that she thought was legit. It turns out, however, that she almost became a part of a sex trafficking ring. On Feb. 25, Mail Online reported that Brittney Cason was approached by a company that she thought was a talent agency. She interviewed with the company for four months, thinking that she was going to go to Sochi and cover the Olympics for them — a job of a lifetime, really. Turns out, it was all a set up. Cason said that the company’s want for her to bring “friends” along and their willingness to hand out visas alerted her that something wasn’t right.

The cheerleader knew this Sochi job was curious. “I spent four months applying and interviewing and he’s sending my friend a work visa without even seeing her work? Now, my friend is really talented, but wanting her passport and social security number before her reel (reporting and presenting clips) just seemed fishy to me,” Cason said.

And so the FBI got involved and Cason never made it to Sochi — and she’s lucky that she didn’t end up getting on a plane. “So many of the stories I’ve heard from survivors start with ‘I was hired for a modelling job,’” said Cason, clearly realizing that she could have been in a serious predicament had she flown to Sochi.

Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls in the north west of Langkawi Island comprises of seven interconnected pools fed by seven waterfalls. The waterfalls are in three segments and 638 steps up a steep hillside take visitors right to the top. Many stop at the second stage to enjoy a dip in the seven pools there.

Telaga Tujuh means seven wells and this refers to seven interconnected freshwater pools fed by seven waterfalls located in the northwestern corner of Langkawi Island. The waterfalls are part of the Machinchang Forest Reserve that is a dipterocarp rain forest. Not only do the tall trees of the rainforest provide a gorgeous backdrop for the waterfalls but it also harbours several species of endemic fauna.

The site is easily reachable by any mode of motorized transport and part of the way can be accessed by the Langkawi cable car as well. However visitors have to climb up 638 slippery steps at an angle of 45 to 60 degrees to get right to the top of the hill, the source of the waterfall. Since the waterfall is in three segments many just do two segments being exhausted from the climb. Those who have done the full climb estimate the first waterfall is reachable in about 10 minutes. The middle waterfall apparently can be reached in 20 minutes from the first. This is where the pools or wells are located and many visitors stop here to take a cooling dip in the pools which is really nice on a hot day. Another 15 minute climb from stage II takes visitors right to the top where those who have done it enthuse about the view. The whole trip takes up to 45 minutes, depending on individual fitness levels. The last waterfall, that is the first to come into view, cascades 90 meters to the foot of the mountain. The middle section of Telaga Tujuh waterfalls is the most impressive as unfortunately the bottom sections tends to dry up into a trickle particularly during the dry season. As with many waterfalls it is seen at its best after the rains. The hike through the rainforest to get to the sites brings into view long tailed Macaques, cream colour giant squirrels and even the occasional hornbill. Clearly marked hiking trails and visitor facilities at the foot of the falls and at the top makes climbing up and spending time there that much easier. The site has no opening and closing times. No one really attempts the climb late because the thick forest canopy makes the place dark pretty quickly.

Located on an idyllic 500 meter beach with views of tiny offshore islands, Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa offers the ideal tropical holiday destination. The selection of accommodation at this Langkawi beach resort includes superior and premium rooms, one and two bedroom suites finished in cool tones, with modern comforts and conveniences. Stay at this 5 star hotel in Langkawi and enjoy luxurious spa therapies, dining venues with a relaxing ambience and excellent menus, a fitness studio, multiple swimming pools, water sports and other onsite leisure facilities that make holidays for the whole family fun and adventurous.

Buying a new car can be stressful, especially if you haven’t done it in over five years. There’s the issue of choosing a colour, make, extra features (if you want them), and of course the messy business of negotiating a price. If you don’t do the research before heading to the dealership, you could fall into a trap many buyers before you have succumbed to and leave the dealership with much more than you bargained for, and not in a good way.

Before you even start talking to a salesperson, arm yourself with enough knowledge about the car to reduce the likelihood of you getting taken for a ride (no pun intended). The first thing you need to do is the research on the car cost. Canada dealers get their units at wholesale prices. You can find out more about this via invoice price reports. Companies like Car Cost Canada offer invoice price reports at $39.95 while Unhaggle.com lets you access it for free. Once you get the factory price of the car, factor in what the dealer needs to make in profit and you can start benchmarking your price for negotiation.

Next, it is also important to understand which fees are mandatory and which fees are optional dealer fees that can be negotiated out of your purchase. The more information you have, the better your chances are of getting a reasonable price, and one that you can be happy with.

Here’s a quick rundown of the mandatory fees you’ll need to pay when purchasing a car according to the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry:

1. HST or Harmonized Sales Tax – 13% on car price
2. Air tax – Air conditioner excise tax of $100 for cars with air-conditioning
3. OTS tax or Ontario Tire Stewardship fee – For passenger vehicles and light trucks the fee is $5.84 per tire
4. OMVIC fee – A transaction fee to support OMVIC’s (Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council) dispute resolution activities
5. PPSA fee – If you finance/lease a car, the bank/leasing company will charge a fee for setting up the loan and registering the lien $50 to $75.
6. Licensing – Most dealerships will take care of this for you and will charge an admin fee of $50 to $75.

If it’s not listed above, consider it a dealer fee. An important thing to remember is that mandatory fees should not be added to the car’s price after you’ve negotiated it, it must already be included. The same goes for advertisements that include the price of a car – whatever is advertised should be the all-in price.

Don’t be pressured into buying additional products or features you don’t believe have value. If you’re being made to believe that a certain add-on is compulsory because it’s already been installed, you have the right to report them to the OMVIC for deliberately misleading you.

Dealer fees and add-ons like security packages which include a police traceable code in case of theft could already be part of your insurance coverage so make sure you do the due diligence and read your contracts before signing them.

A great way to avoid paying for more than the car is worth is to do extensive research online and see what other people are paying for the same car. Find out also if there are any on-going Canadian dealer incentives that you could take advantage of.

“Bachelor” spoilers have been all over the internet greatly in part to Reality Steve who loves to give fans the 411 long before the season ends. One of the spoilers involves the next “Bachelorette” and on Feb. 24, Hollywood Life reported who that is rumored to be. Apparently Andi Dorfman will take the helm — she and Juan Pablo will not end up together (in case you didn’t read the finale spoilers).

The selection of Andi has a lot of fans in an uproar — while a lot of people liked her on “The Bachelor,” most don’t see her as “The Bachelorette” and were really hoping for some “fresh meat” so to speak.

“Bachelor” spoilers revealed who Juan Pablo chooses at the end of this season but also what will happen moving forward with the popular ABC franchise. Andi Dorfman will begin filming her season on March 11 or 12. According to the report, the “official” announcement will air on “After the Final Rose,” which isn’t anything new. And the fact that the news was spoiled? Also nothing new.